How to Recall a Message in Outlook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hitting the send button after typing an important email and immediately realizing something went wrong is a feeling most of us are familiar with. Maybe the email was sent to the wrong person, the attachment was missing, or there were glaring spelling errors that couldn’t be ignored. If you use Microsoft Outlook, there’s a feature that can help you eliminate errors, at least in some cases. Outlook includes a message recall option that allows you to attempt to recall an email after it has been sent. It’s not a universal undo button, and it doesn’t always work, but when the conditions are right, it can prevent incorrect or incomplete emails from being read.

How to recall a message in Outlook: A step-by-step guide

The recall feature is primarily available to organizations using Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365, depending on the factors. Because of these limitations, recalling an email in Outlook requires more than a quick click. You need to understand how the feature works, who it works for, and why it sometimes fails. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to recall a message in Outlook, what to expect when you try it, and when it’s best to make corrections.

How to recall a message in Outlook desktop version (classic)

1. First open Outlook and go to Item sent folder where you can find the email you want to recall.
2. Next, double-click the message to open it in a new window, and make sure you’re not using the reading pane.
3. Once the email opens, look at the top menu and click information tab. choose from there action and select recall this message.
4. You can also access the same options by clicking documentthen information, then Resend or remember,at last recall this message.
5. After selecting the recall option, Outlook will ask you how you want to proceed.
6. choose Delete unread copies of this message If you just want to delete the email.
7. If you want to correct an error, select Delete unread copies and replace them with new messageswhich allows you to edit the original email before sending an updated version.
8. Before completing, check the box to receive notifications telling you whether the recall was successful or failed.
9. When ready, click OK Complete the process.

How to recall an email in Outlook desktop version (New)

1. First, you need to open Item sent folder so you can find the email you want to recall.
2. Then double-click the email to open it in a separate window instead of viewing it in the preview pane.
3. Once the message opens, look at the ribbon at the top and select recall news.
4. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click OK Continue the recall.
5. Finally, check your inbox for a notification from Outlook that tells you whether the recall attempt was successful or failed.

How to recall an email in Outlook on the web (new)

1. First, open Item sent Select a folder from the left menu and find the email you want to recall.
2. Then double-click the message to open it in a separate window instead of the preview pane.
3. Once the email opens, start the calling process based on the ribbon view you’re using.
4. If you see the Classic Ribbon, select Withdraw message directly.
5. If you are using the Simplified Ribbon, click More Options (three dots) and select Withdraw message.
6. When Outlook asks you to confirm the action, select OK continue.
7. After that, keep an eye on your inbox. Outlook will send you a status report telling you whether the recall was successful, still pending, or failed.

Limitations and alternatives

The message recall feature in Outlook has several important limitations that you should keep in mind before using it. First, it only works with Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 work or school accounts. You cannot use message recall for personal email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, outlook.com, hotmail.com, or live.com.

The recall feature also only works within the same organization or domain. This means you and the recipient must use the same Microsoft 365 or Exchange setup, such as a workplace or school email system. Recall will not work if the email is sent to someone outside the organization.

If you can’t undo it, you can use Outlook’s Undo Send feature. This setting adds a short delay before sending the email, giving you a few seconds to cancel the message if an error is discovered. However, this option is only available on Outlook.com and Outlook on the web, not through the desktop Outlook application.

FAQ

1. Do you remember emails sent to Gmail, Yahoo, or other personal accounts?
No, you cannot recall an email sent to a personal email address such as Gmail, Yahoo, outlook.com, or hotmail.com. The recall feature is only available for Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 work or school accounts.

2. Can you recall an email if the recipient has already opened it?
Yes, recall should work even if the recipient has opened the email, even in the preview pane, thanks to cloud-based recall that Microsoft is rolling out in 2023 for Microsoft 365 users.

3. Are email recalls effective outside of your organization?
Email recall works reliably when you and the recipient are in the same organization or domain using Microsoft 365 or Exchange, but thanks to cloud-based recall, it may also work across platforms, depending on the situation.

4. Can you recall an email if the recipient was checking it on their phone or online?
The recall will fail if the recipient reads the email on the mobile app or webmail before processing the recall request, but this appears to have been corrected with cloud-based recall.

5. Do you know whether your recall attempt was successful or unsuccessful?
Yes, if you enable this option, Outlook can send you a notification telling you whether the recall was successful, pending, or failed.

6. What should you do if you cannot recall?
If recall isn’t an option, you can enable Outlook’s Undo Send feature, which gives you a short delay before sending emails so you can cancel them if needed.